Method of forming hair curls



United States Patent METHOD OF FORMING HAIR CURLS Richard V. Brothers, Fontana, Calif.

No Drawing. Continuation of abandoned application Serial No. 253,747, October 29, 1951. This application May 23, 1955, Serial No. 510,560

9 Claims. (Cl. 132--7) This invention relates to hair groomers and methods of forming croquignole and similar curls of hair. This application is a continuation of pending application Serial Number 253,747, filed on October 29th, 1951, now abandoned, entitled, Methods for Curling Hair, which was a division of application filed by applicant on December th, 19-49, entitled Hair Curling Device and which has since matured into a patent bearing number 2,600,730 and dated June 17, 1952.

The invention herein disclosed has among its objects the production and formation of cylinder type hair curls by simple steps of procedure and which steps produce durable, compact and perfect curls in an inexpensive, elfcient and convenient manner. The results of this method are natural curls which can be combed to form Wavy hair locks, ringlcts, or just spiral rolls (Page Boy) from one identical wrapping.

()ther objects, advantages and features of this invention will appear from a careful perusal of the description, the preamble to these specifications, and the claims appended hereto.

The method consists of picking the hair up near the scalp by a comb in order to get the natural distribution of the hair at the scalp, and then letting the comb dispense the hair continually in natural positions of distribution as the inwardly formed cylinders of hair are formed until the ends of the hairs pass through the comb last. The locks of hair are wound into scrolls 0r nested cylinders of hair having a common axis. The convolutes of each curl form spirals wherein each convolute or cylinder has its outer and inner surfaces in direct contact with the overlying and/or underlying convolute or cylinder, respectively; that is, the convolutes or cylinders are wound in close contact without there being any foreign matter therebetween such as films, sheets of metal or paper, etc. The winding is done in a novel order as distinguished from the usual method and style of winding operations; that is, each curl is not formed by starting at the ends and then winding toward the scalp, but rather by starting near the scalp and drawing the hair filaments under each preformed cylinder of hair until the very ends of the lock of hair are curled within the curl which may or may not be within the last wound cylinder.

Since the various combed cylinders of hair in a wound curl make contact with their proximate neighbors, it is believed that the terms laminated and/or superimposed should be employed in order to make this application, and particularly the claims wherein expressions must be limited, more understandable. Therefore, these terms are to mean that each underlying convolute or cylinder of hair has its outer surfaces in contact with the inner surfaces of the outer convolute or cylinder of hair; and that each overlying convolute or cylinder of hair has its inner surfaces in contact with the outer surfaces of the inner convolute or cylinder of hair. However, when the curl (a composite of a number of cylinders) is tightened, the combed hair cylinders intermesh 2,805,672 Patented Sept. 10, 1957 to some degree since there is no intermediate sheeting of any kind between them.

The first step in making the curl is to form a combed convolute or cylinder of hair at the scalp portion of the hair. The hair is mentioned as combed so that the hair filaments are in parallel relationship with respect to its neighboring hair filaments and thus all the hair filaments to be curled are in their natural lying position. The combed filament arrangement of the hair is important for the reason that when hair is curled with its filaments lying in their natural arrangement, the finished curl will be much more permanent in structure and will not have a tendency to shift because of forces which are contrary to the intendend purposes.

By starting each curl of hair near the scalp end, a buckling or hair upheaval action is avoided. The importance of beginning the rolling action from the scalp end can best be understood by rolling or scrolling a common magazine. By starting near the scalp to form a curl, it is similar to rolling a magazine by starting the rolling action at the stapled edge or hinder edge, which provides a neat and trim scroll; but, upon rolling of the same magazine at the loose leaf edge it will be found that it is impossible to make a neat roll or scroll. The same is true in rolling a lock of hair which has been started at the loose ends. It should now be clear that the hair locks should be curled by starting near the scalp in order to make a nest curl of hair that is selfholding.

Applicants method consists in winding hair into a scroll by starting the winding operation near the scalp and proceeding in such manner that the hair cylinders, as formed, make contact with the hair cylinders proximate thereto. The winding progresses inwardly, that is to say, the outer surfaces of each underlying cylinder of hair make close intimate contact with the inner surfaces of the hair cylinder previously formed. All the hair cylinders of a single composite curl have a common axis. The very ends of the hair filaments are wound last (should all the ends be substantially of the same length) into the chamber area of the last made cylinder. By trapping the very ends of the hair lock within the last formed cylinder or inner cylinder of hair, the contacting hairs of the superimposed cylinders become more permanently set and definitely hold their curl for a much longer period of time than in the case of other methods of forming concentric cylinders of hair. By this method, the very ends of the hair stay toed-in for a long time even after being combed and brushed.

To be more specific, the steps of procedure are as foll ws:

lst: The outer or first cylinder of hair is formed close to or near the scalp by a windnig action or wrap ping operation; this first cylinder being formed of stztlicient diameter to allow chamber room or space within the cylinder to accomodate the other cylinders to be subsequently formed;

2nd: The next or second cylinder of hair is formed within the first cylinder and the outer surfaces of the second cylinder are in intimate contact with the inner surfaces of the first wound cylinder;

3rd: The subsequent cylinders are wound like the second cylinder with respect to its first cylinder; that is, the third cylinder of hair is within the second cylinder of hair, etc, and each subsequent cylinder of hair has its outer surfaces in contact with the inner surfaces of the previously wound cylinder, thus making a laminated curl of hair consisting of a plurality of contacting hair cylinders;

4th: The very ends of the hair lock are positioned within the last formed cylinder, but since the hair filaments of the lock are not necessarily terminated evenly (unless so cut), all the hair ends do not necessarily lie within the last formed cylinder;

5th: The entire series of concentric and naturally nested hair cylinders are tightened for further intimate contact by exerting expansion forces from within which makes a tighter and firmer curl because the hair filaments of adjacent cylinders are interposed; and

6th: The entire curl just formed is then treated in the well known manner in a setting solution in order to give the combed-out and/or brushed-out lock of hair a lasting wavy quality which has a high degree of perfection (natural) and a permanency much superior to that achieved with present day methods of hair curling.

The above steps in the method may be preformed with implements or devices such as the one described in detail in the above cited patent, No. 2,600,730. As is recited in such patent (starting at column 3, line 46 to and including column 4, line 30), the entire curl may be formed on the outside of a mandrel. Also, as dsecribed in such patent (for example, at column 4, line 7 and following), the hair strands for the inner convolutes pass axially of the outer (first formed) convolute before they are formed into convolute shape.

It is, of course, understood that various minor changes and modifications may be made in the detailed steps and actions for making curls without departing from the teaching of this invention.

1 claim as my invention:

1. A method of forming croquignole type hair curls, comprising forming a first cylinder of hair near the scalp, and then forming a succeeding cylinder of hair within said first cylinder in an inwardly winding manner such that the inner surfaces of said first cylinder of hair are in contact with the outer surfaces of said succeeding cylinder of hair, the ends of the hair lock finding their respective natural positions within said succeeding cylinder.

2. A method of forming croquignole type hair curls by: first, combing the lock of hair to be curled and forming a first cylinder of hair in said lock near the scalp while under a continuous combining action so that the hair filaments lie in natural position, then forming a second cylinder of hair in said lock within the first cylinder and in contact with the inner surfaces of the first cylinder while under a combing action, then continuing the above steps in the formation of other inwardly formed cylinders until the very ends of said lock are within the formed cylinders.

3. A method of forming croquignole type hair curls; comprising forming a series of inwardly progressing hair cylinders in a scroll winding manner after starting near Cit lil

the scalp in order to form a laminated composite curl, each inner cylinder having its outer surfaces in contact with the inner surfaces of a previously formed cylinder.

4. The method recited in claim 3 wherein the steps are performed while the hair is being combed.

5. A method of. producing a croquignole type hair curl by: first, comb-picking a lock of hair up near the scalp; secondly, forming a cylinder of hair in said lock while under a combing action so that the hair filaments are kept in natural combed position; thirdly, forming another cylinder of hair in said lock within the first cylinder while the hair is being combed; and then continuing the formation of other combed inner cylinders of hair in said lock until the very ends of the hair are wrapped within the confines of the curl; characterized in that the surfaces of each hair cylinder are in substantially continuous contact With lhe surfaces of the other hair cylinders during formation of said curl.

6. A method of forming a curl of human hair, which comprises the steps of forming a first cylinder in a lock of hair at a point near the scalp, the lengths of hair in said lock between said first cylinder and the scalp being relatively short, said first cylinder having an inner diamcter sufficiently large to accommodate other cylinders to be subsequently formed in said lock; then forming a second cylinder of hair in said lock within said first cylinder and by a continuous inwardly spiraling combing action, the exterior surface of said second cylinder being in continuous contact with the interior surface of said first cylinder; then forming a third cylinder of hair in said lock within said second cylinder and by a continuous inwardly spiraling combing action, the exterior surface of said third cylinder being in continuous contact with the interior surface of said second cylinder; and then continuing said steps until the hair ends in said lock are nested within the innermost cylinders.

7. The invention as claimed in claim 6, in which the outer portions of the hairs of said lock are passed longitudinally within said first cylinder before they are Wound to form said second and subsequent cylinders.

8. The invention as claimed in claim 6, in which all of said cylinders are formed exteriorly of a mandrel.

9. The invention as claimed claim 6, in which all of W said cylinders are formed and then the mandrel removed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,285,144 Bregou June 2, 1942 

